The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Publisher: Transworld Publishers
Release Date: 8th September 2007
Genre: History

Summary:
It is 1939 in Nazi Germany and war is in the air.

Soon after the death of her young brother, Liesel moves in with a foster family on the poverty stricken Himmel Street. Feeling isolated and scared, she finds solace in books and the stories they tell.

Review:
I am not going to lie, I have been putting off reading this book for a while. I am not sure why, but I have dreading reading this book... (it may have something to do with it being a book based on history, I am not too sure).

However, when I started to read the book, and really get into the story; I really enjoyed it. I have spent quite a while, trying to figure out why I like it but I am really not sure! (This is turning out to be a pretty vague blog post, I am coming to realise - sorry!)

What makes this book so different from the others that I have read is that it is narrated by Death. Being set in 1939 Nazi Germany, the choice for this narrative voice is pretty obvious - but an extremely clever one at that! In my opinion, it really adds another perspective to both the emotional and historical side of the story. It is really interesting!

I also loved the way the book is set out into mini-stories, with cute, little notes detailing any extra information, side notes or dramatic points highlighted with archaic detail. These really made the book special and enjoyable to read. The example opposite was probably my favourite quote from the book, just because, for me at least, it is so relatable at the moment. I loved it so much, I had to Instagram it...

The characters themselves are extremely lovable and easy to get attached to. The diversity of characters featured throughout really helps highlight the problems and troubles the citizens of Germany in 1939. Also for me, at least, it really brought to my attention the strain they were under to conform to the beliefs of the masses and how rebellious streaks were severely punished. This aspect of the book really fascinated me. However, I did find Liesel quite annoying at times (again, I am not sure exactly why!).

Rating: 8/10. Must read for history buffs.

You can buy The Book Thief  from Amazon here.